Suggested Books

PARTNERS

Once an Ancient Mine, The Breathtaking Underground Salt Cathedral of Colombia

From preserving the food and trade of a prosperous Pre-Hispanic civilizations, to funding a liberator’s fight for independence, all the way to astonishing modern tourists and worshippers with its marvelous ornamentation, the Zipaquirá salt mine in Colombia has had a rich history.

The salt deposit has its origins in an inland sea that covered the region some 250 million years ago. When the sea dried up a large salt deposit was left behind in the mud and this eventually solidified to become giant rocks of salt. As people began to inhabit the region they soon found a purpose for all those salt crystals.

The Salt People

Although there are still large quantities left, the salt mine has been heavily exploited over the years. The first to have shown a strong interest in mining the site was probably the Muisca civilization. The Muisca peoples are recognized as having one of the more advanced pre-Hispanic civilizations in the Americas, thus it is not too surprising that they were able to use the natural resource to their advantage. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area in 1537, they found themselves in the land of the Muisca leaders and were likely astounded by what they saw.

The Muisca society was partly based on agriculture, but people mostly dedicated their time to the mining of emeralds, gold, coal, and salt. It was the salt, however, which helped the Muisca indigenous peoples to become some of the most prosperous pre-Hispanic peoples. One of the possible reasons salt had such a high status for trade could have been for its use in food preservation (and preparation).

For a long time, it was believed that the Muisca and other local pre-Hispanic peoples led a nomadic lifestyle, but now it is mostly accepted that some of the indigenous people, such as the Muisca, also lived in permanent settlements which were maintained for hundreds of years.

The Muisca people had a large population before the Spanish conquest and a Confederation of territory of approximately 47,000 sq. km (18,000 sq. miles). The legend of El Dorado , the famous city of gold, may have also originated from their culture.

Muisca raft, representation of the initiation of the new Zipa in the lake of Guatavita and possible source of the legend of El Dorado. It was found in a cave in Pasca, Colombia in 1856 together with many other gold objects. ( Andrew Bertram/CC BY SA 1.0 )

Running a Salt Mine to Modernity

The salt in Zipaquirá mine comes from what one researcher has called essentially “a mountain of salt”. The process the Muisca used to obtain the final product was relatively simple: chunks of the mineral were removed and mixed with water and placed in large clay pots. The pots were then heated and when the water evaporated the salt would remain in the pot. This solid mass could then be broken and transported as “loaves” of salt. This procedure to obtain salt remained pretty much the same for centuries with alterations mostly coming in the form of larger pots and fires.

The indigenous people continued to have a strong hold over the salt production in the area, which made the Spaniards uneasy. The Spanish conquerors had been proven as ineffective in managing the salt exploitation, but changes to the salt production were on their way when Alexander von Humboldt arrived in the early 19th century.

Von Humboldt introduced the ideas of mines and tunnels for rock salt extraction and sped up the production process while doing away with the traditional methods of exploitation. Oxen, followed later by streetcars and railcars, carried the larger quantities of salt from the mines. By the early 20th century vertical excavations had already taken hold.

Zipaquirá’s Other Sites of Interest

Although debated, some researchers suggest that the name of Zipaquirá may have its roots in “Zipa” from the local name for Muisca chiefs who ruled the area near present-day Bogotá. The village of Zipaquirá was founded in the 1600s, making the town one of the oldest in the country.

Apart from the salt mine, Zipaquirá contains or is located near other sites of interest for archaeologists and historians. For example, the archaeological site called El Abra is believed to have been the home to some of the earliest inhabitants in the Americas. This site has been dated to about 12,000 years ago.

Another place of interest for tourists visiting Zipaquirá is an old house where the famous military and political leader Simón Bolivar lived during the war of Independence. Bolívar is also believed to have exploited the local salt mine to fund his fight for the independence of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The old National College for Boys is also a popular site in the city. It is where Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist Gabriel García Márquez lived and was educated from 1943 - 1946.

The Salt Cathedral

However, the most popular attraction for tourists is undoubtedly the salt cathedral which is housed within the salt mine 180 meters (590.55 ft.) below the earth’s surface. The first Catholic church was opened to the public in 1954, but safety concerns closed it in 1992. The popularity of the site had apparently already taken hold however and a new cathedral was opened to the public in 1995. There are several carved salt sculptures found within this newer cathedral, including a 4.88 meter (16 ft.) high cross that stands behind the main altar.

These churches were not the first devotional sites in the mines however. Scholars believe that the earliest miners likely worshipped in the caverns below the surface as well. Researchers suggest that the miners practice of hanging of religious imagery may have led to the first Christian shrine in the salt mines.

But looking for divine help and safety is definitely not just a modern idea and one would not be surprised if the ancient Muisca miners asked for protection and aid from a benevolent deity while they toiled away under the earth’s surface long before the Spaniards and their religion took hold in the region.

Alicia

Alicia McDermott has degrees in Anthropology, International Development Studies, and Psychology. She is a Canadian who resides in Ecuador. Traveling throughout Bolivia and Peru, as well as all-over Ecuador, Alicia has increased her knowledge of Pre-Colombian sites as well as... Read More

Register to become part of our active community, get updates, receive a monthly newsletter, and enjoy the benefits and rewards of our member point systemOR just post your comment below as a Guest.

You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.

Your name *

E-mail *

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

The world’s largest necropolis, filled with gods, mythical animals, and heroes, rests in the southwestern Andes of Colombia The largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in...

Viral Articles

The Paiutes, a Native-American tribe indigenous to parts of Nevada, have an oral tradition that they told to early white settlers of the area about a race of red-haired, white giants or ‘barbarians’...

There are many stone artifacts from the ancient world made from the hardest stone on the planet such as granite and diorite, which have been cut and shaped with such quality, precision and accuracy that the standard explanations of their manufacture are simply inadequate.

Myths & Legends

The Paiutes, a Native-American tribe indigenous to parts of Nevada, have an oral tradition that they told to early white settlers of the area about a race of red-haired, white giants or ‘barbarians’...

Ancient Technology

There are many stone artifacts from the ancient world made from the hardest stone on the planet such as granite and diorite, which have been cut and shaped with such quality, precision and accuracy that the standard explanations of their manufacture are simply inadequate.

Our Mission

At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives.

By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.